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Jobless rate ticks up in 5 swing states

By CHARLES MAHTESIAN

09/21/2012 01:48 PM EDT

Unemployment rates rose in 5 swing states in August, remained steady in 3 and fell in Colorado, according to newly released Labor Department data.

New Hampshire saw the biggest rise – from 5.4 percent to 5.7 percent – representing one of the largest over-the-month changes in the country from July to August. Iowa and Wisconsin both saw 0.2 percent increases while Nevada and North Carolina experienced a 0.1 percent rise.

The two biggest swing states, however, saw no change from July to August: Florida and Ohio both remained static, as did Virginia.

Colorado was the only swing state where the unemployment rate fell – from 8.3 to 8.2 percent.

With 46 days left until the general election, the new numbers reflect a battleground map where 5 of the 9 core swing states have unemployment rates below the national average (Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin) but two of them (Nevada and North Carolina) continue to struggle with some of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.

Nevada continues to outpace every other state with its 12.1 percent unemployment rate. North Carolina has the 5th highest rate at 9.7 percent.